Creating a Family Home

To Wear to a Christening

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 01:15:00 +0000

Thomas is getting baptized in just under a month and I have to get in gear and organize the whole shebang, and pronto. I ordered a cute not-too-girly looking romper for him to wear -- my boys look sweet and girly enough on their own, thankyouverymuch -- and found myself looking at shoes online to go with the outfit. Um, shoes? Don't I make those myself? Oh yeah. I'm so silly sometime (read rediuclous and blond).

So, now I'm off to see if I can find a cute sewing pattern to work up. Do you have any favorite patterns that would look nice paired with a simple christening outfit? I ordered him this one.

My first thought was to use one of the shoe patterns I already make for my Etsy shop, and in a somewhat funky patterned fabric. Not too over the top or bright, but not your run-of-the-mill standard issue, either. You know those people who show up in a handsome outfit but with funky shoes? That.

Which shoes would you go with for a christening?

Capturing Babyhood

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

This weekend we hired our wedding photographer for the third time -- to take our family portrait again, now that we're a family of four. The last time we had family portraits taken was when Nathan was five months old, so in keeping with tradition, we hired Robert again, since Thomas is already (!) five months. Actually, he's five and a half months.

In all honesty, I don't know why we don't hire him every year. I've been taking Nathan for portraits at Walmart each year (I'm sure our photographer would wither up and die if he heard that), and paying an arm and a leg each time. Some photos came out good and some just okay. But Robert's photos come out amazing every time, and I love that he shows me what he's getting as he's taking them. He is such a talented photographer.

It's so important to capture our babies' babyhoods. They're over so regrettably fast. In less than two weeks, Thomas will be 6 months old and his babyhood will be half over -- and I'm already feeling sorrowful for it. Sure, he'll still be baby-ish for close to another year, but how I wish he could stay this little, sweet and innocent (and immobile!) forever. My heart is already starting to break.

But my mom raised a good point the other day that gave me some perspective. If babies always stayed babies, we wouldn't cherish this time the way we do. This really is the best time of my life, even though some days all I feel is the exhaustion, hard work and the balancing act I play each workday.

I must remember this feeling during those occassional night wakenings that last up to an hour (I know), poop explosions (they're not that bad, really) and the exhausted feeling I usually have these days when I wake up in the morning feeling like I haven't slept at all. Thomas is such a happy, joyful baby. I need to capture his babyhood and remember what I'm feeling now forever. This is what life is all about.

Some Extreme Cuteness... Sewing Pattern Preview!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 01:06:00 +0000

In a fit of creativity, I let loose recently and came up with my very own sewn design! Meet Who the Taggy Owl!

Thanks to my two little ones, my job and this house, it takes me quite a while to accomplish anything extracirricular -- but in this case, it was a good thing. It gave me the time to simmer on the details and let the elements come to me -- which they righteously did.

I love the tufts of yarn on the tips of his ears...

...his hand embroidered eyes, which can be sewn on or ironed on with fusible web.

...his wings with contrasting fabric, made heavier with fusible fleece and crinkly with cellophane lining.

...ribbon tags on the bottom, which Thomas always makes his way to after going to town on the ears.

I just love him!!! And I hope you do, too. The sewing pattern will be available here soon. I just need to double check the instructions and edit and add all the step-by-step photos. You know, because I have time for all that with these two adorable boys keeping me busy. :)

Stay tuned!

Woven Wrap Chopping and Hemming Services at Sew Sweet Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 12:48:00 +0000

Sew Sweet Studio now offers woven wrap chopping and hemming services! If you want your woven wrap shortened, send it to me, and I will chop it to your desired length and professionally hem it.

I will move the middle markers if they had been sewn on after the rails were hemmed by the manufacturer (like Didymos's wraps). For wraps with middle markers that are incorporated into their rails' hems (Girasol, Natibaby), I will leave the original middle markers in place and add a small piece of ribbon to mark the middle, if that's what you desire.

There are lots of reasons to chop and hem a woven wrap:

Your wrap is too long, but you love the color or pattern and just can't part with it, even though you rarely use it.
You love your hard-to-find wrap, but don't like the long length -- and, stalk the Facebook swap as you might, you just can't find it in a shorter length. (I know, first-world problems!)
You're tired of dragging long tails in parking lots and stores and would prefer a shorty. Hemming your long wrap is much more affordable than buying another, shorter wrap. Plus, you'll get a scrap out of the deal, which you can sell or use to make something.
Your baby is now a toddler and you have no need for really long wraps. Make 'em into shorties!

To get your woven wrap chopped and hemmed, visit my Etsy shop, Sew Sweet Studio, and click on Woven Wrap Chopping and Hemming Service.

Like Sew Sweet Studio on Facebook for updates on services and new products, plus woven wrap scraps to choose from and specials.

Kid's Craft Idea: Colored Rice Art Activity

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:56:00 +0000

Nathan's in a fun crafting phase now, and he's eager to try new things. Although he's getting bored with standard variety crayons, an activity he never seems to get tired of is gluing colored rice to construction paper. He's getting better at making designs on paper with the glue and I can see his coordination improving when it comes to sprinkling the colored rice on the wet glue.

I dyed all this rice a few months ago to use with Nathan and my friend's kids when they came over for a visit. Each child got a small plastic cup full of each color: red, yellow, green and blue. They managed to share one bottle of glue and get colored rice all over my dining room floor. But, hey, that's what vacuums are for. I knew in advance it wasn't going to be neat, but also not prohibitively messy. I like to keep my messes somewhere in the middle.

Now the colored rice has been recycled many times and is of the rainbow variety, no longer in separate cups by color. Even better!

Here's how I made colored rice for this art activity:

In a small ziptop bag, mix:

1 cup of uncooked white rice
1/2 tsp rubbing alcohol
a few drops of food coloring

Make up a bag for each color.

Mash around until the food coloring is spread evenly throughout. When it comes to the food coloring, more is better if you want saturated colors. The first color I tried came out weaker than the others because I was timid with the food coloring for some reason. Get wild! Really go for it!

Then spread out the rice on a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet (or counter top, if you don't need the space for something else) to dry. It's helpful to shake the wax paper before the rice is fully dry to keep it from sticking together and forming clumps. Even if clumps do form, they're easy to break apart with your fingers. You could even get your kids to do it.

The alcohol keeps the dye from coming off on your/your kids' fingers, but if their fingers come in contact with the glue and then they touch the rice, all bets are off. The color will transfer. FYI. But it's food grade, so what the hey.

Have fun! Let me know if you give it a try. :)

Send-in-your-scrap Wrap Scrap Baby Loafers

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 18:49:00 +0000

Hi friends! I just wanted to drop in with my newest offering -- Wrap Scrap Baby Loafers that I make with your own wrap scraps!

Check out the listing: Send-in-your-scrap Custom Wrap Scrap Baby Loafers

For the send-in-your-scrap custom option, your scrap will need to be at least 8" long by the full width of the wrap, or a combination of 8" wide scraps that add up to about 27" or so in length. If you have a bunch of small scraps and are not sure if they're enough to make loafers, take a photo of your scraps with a tape measure running across it and send it to me through Etsy. Let's talk about it!

I also have a new listing for Wrap Scrap Baby Shoes in Girasol Carson's Cove Diamond Weave Puff Weft.

I'm loving these summer colors.

Thanks for looking and supporting handmade! I'll be back this week with a fun kids' art activity/craft idea using colored rice and glue. How could that possibly be messy?!

Your truly,

Kelly

Yarn Along and Busier than Usual

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:06:00 +0000

So it looks like I'm making this week's Yarn Along post do double duty. It's interesting how, when I'm at my busiest, I have the strongest urge to craft, write and create. It's been hard keeping up at work (I'm a freelance writer with a steady gig for a great client) because of my nusing babe, and I've been using nights and weekends to catch up and stay afloat. (Does he really have to nurse every hour and a half? The answer is yes, and he has the rolls to prove it.)

When I should be coming up for air, I just want to make stuff. But there are kids to care for and play with, meals to cook, a husband to spend time with, and then I should be getting to bed earlier... I'm lucky that I have a husband that shares heavily in the duties around here. But I still pine for more free time. I know that someday all I'll have is time, so I'm trying to shake it off. The creating is happening, just really slowly.

I'm coming up with a new sock design that is a women's version of my Handsome Men's Slipper Socks:

And have been slowly working on my first sewing pattern. You may have read about a silly little contest on my Facebook page to guess what the pattern will be, based on a photo of the pattern shape. Sally guessed it right -- it's going to be an owl lovey! -- and she will get the very first copy of the pattern when it's ready. Yay, Sally!!

Time to go rest. And maybe knit a little bit. Who knows, maybe sometime during 2013 I'll be able to release a new pattern! [I wrote this last night but posted this morning, oops!]

Happy knitting, my friends.

Kelly

A Little Contest -- Win a Free Sewing Pattern!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 02:36:00 +0000

Hi, friends! I'm just popping in to announce a little contest I'm holding on my Facebook page. To celebrate the creation of my first-ever sewing pattern (it's still in the works), I'm giving away a PDF copy of the pattern to the first person who can guess what it will be.

Here's your clue:

Now head over to this Facebook post and comment there with your best guess. Comments left here won't be included in the contest.

Good luck!

Yarn Along -- Casting Off in Order to Cast On

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 04:43:00 +0000

If you're a more industrious knitter than I've been lately, you're going to think I'm nuts (or have a very short attention span) for getting so stinking close to finishing a hat and then putting it down and moving on to something else. All I had to do was draw the yarn through the remaining stitches, secure and weave in ends! It was so long ago that I can't even remember if it was before Thomas was born or after. Maybe after. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

In my defense, I had put it down in a drawer that I never go in. So.... there. Yeah. I stumbled upon it a few weeks ago, noted that the hat was in there (oh yeah, I remember this hat now!) and then promptly closed the drawer. Wow, I really had lost interest.

Just the other day I got an idea for a worsted weight cabled sock pattern and went looking for my size 7 DPNs... and found them in the hat. So I sucked it up and finished the hat. (You can see how threading the stitches onto waste yarn only to reclaim the needles would have been double work and a waste of time.)

And I'm so glad I did! This hat is soooo silky soft, made of alpaca and silk yarns held together (yarn choices and pattern are listed on my Ravelry project) and the haze from the alpaca is warm and heavenly.

The pattern I'm creating is a women's version of my Handsome Men's Slipper Socks, so if you've been wishing for a pair for yourself, just hang on. I look forward to knitting these again.

Try to ignore the fact that my Cadbury Egg gets center stage in the photograph. And that it's an Instagram. And that I Instagrammed a photo of a Cadbury Egg. You get the idea.

What We Had Been Missing

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 02:01:00 +0000

It's been cold and windy here in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and I haven't been outside with my kids in God-knows-how long. I was very pregnant during one of our hottest summers ever, then I had a baby and then it becamed dreadfully cold. Thomas can't tolerate even the smallest amount of wind, so even on the nicer days we've been trapped inside.

Well, overnight we got about an inch of powdery snow, and poor Nathan hadn't had a chance to play in snow yet this winter, so I took him outside for a few minutes as the sun went down. And it was so much fun. This is what we had been missing.

He led the fun as we ran around, kicked a ball back and forth and "made a pile" of powdery snow. We explored the front yard and the back yard and it felt like the experience was new to both of us.

I remembered the things I liked about this part of the property and what we used to have fun doing out here. It was the most fun I'd had with Nathan in a while.

Oh, I can't wait for spring. I can't wait to get back outside regularly with my big boy. He needs it so much. And today I found out that I need it, too.

Spotlight on Wrap Scrap Baby Loafers

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Hi friends! I hope you're having a nice weekend. I thought I'd occassionally highlight my new products or patterns on my blog, but only on the weekends.

I'm really excited about the newest listing in my Etsy shop -- Wrap Scrap Baby Loafers! Aren't they cute?! (Sorry, I'm still not over their cuteness factor!)

I can't wait to get back in front of my sewing machine to make more.

To get a pair of your own, check out the listing in my Etsy Shop, Sew Sweet Studio. Thanks for looking!

This Moment -- Daddy & Me

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 04:54:00 +0000

Looking at photos from Daddy's childhood.

Yarn Along -- Cupcake Mittens

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:50:00 +0000

Some of you might remember these Cupcake Mittens by Spillyjane. This February it’ll have been two years since I started them. I knew when I cast them on that they wouldn’t be done in time to wear that winter, but was sure I could have them done by the following winter. But that winter came and went, and I was newly pregnant and had no interest in making mittens for myself.

Having already knitted a six-month-supply of baby clothes, this year I have no excuses. I’m still not very interested in them, but it’s something to do during my measly half hour to myself at night.

I’m more interested in the immediate gratification that comes with sewing projects, but 10:30 at night is not a great time to break out the sewing machine unless you really enjoy using a seam ripper.

Speaking of sewing, yesterday I announced the relaunch of my Etsy shop. I now sell baby shoes made from woven wrap scraps, like Girasols. My shop is now called Sew Sweet Studio and is open for business. Please check it out! Thanks, friends.

A New Adventure & Business Venture

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 04:22:00 +0000

Hi friends! Last week I hinted around on my Facebook page that I'm starting a new business venture involving my sewing machine and I announced it on my Facebook page last night. I'm relaunching my Etsy shop with a new name and new line of products! My shop is now called Sew Sweet Studio and I sell custom, made-to-order baby shoes made from woven wrap scraps.

Let me backtrack a bit. You may (or may not) have noticed that until recently I hadn't blogged in over a month. I'd been busy with my boys, and in my spare time had been having some fun with my sewing machine.

Separately from that, I've recently fallen in love with wrapping -- something Nathan absolutely hated (thank goodness for the Ergo). But lucky for me, Tommy likes being wrapped, and it helps us be on the move, get things done when we're busy and snuggle when we're not. Plus, it saves my arms. Have I mentioned how big he is? He reached 17 pounds at 3 months -- my poor arms!

Wrapping is so convenient and there are so many different carries to try. He's even spent some time on my back, which is fun for both of us. And the wraps. Have you seen any of these handwoven wraps in person? Gorgeous.

So gorgeous that I went out on a limb and bought up some scraps. What will I do with all these handwoven scraps? Don't think I didn't have a plan. Baby shoes, of course!

And this week, I plan to launch another new product, baby loafers. You can check them out in my Etsy shop, where I make them to order.

So far, I have a handful of wrap scraps to choose from:

Girasol Double Rainbow - Rojo weft

Girasol Light Rainbow Diamond Weave (my personal favorite, pictured above)

Girasol Earthy Rainbow

Girasol Carson's Cove Diamond Weave - Puff weft

BBslen Turkish Delight

I hope you'll take a look and tell your babywearing friends. Like my Sew Sweet Studio Facebook page for updates!

Where is the Time Going? Where Have I Been?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 15:14:00 +0000

Where is the time going? I wish I could tell you. Where have I been? That's a good one, too.

I can't believe our little Thomas is a week away from becoming four months old. Four months!!! Time flies by way too quickly when you have a little baby, and I know all the moms out there know it. He's already reached 17 pounds at three months -- the size Nathan was at six months -- which makes it seem like his babyhood is going even faster than it really is. I have to remind myself that he'll still be a baby long after he reaches 12 months old. The magic won't be over yet, but it's certainly a different kind of magic.

I just love this age.

Here's a sampling of what we've been up to:

Looking rather like a kewpie doll

Making funny faces (while I try to admire/photograph his new haircut)

Babywearing

Snuggling

More funny faces

Plenty of arts and crafts

A tiny amount of sewing

I went back to my freelance writing career early this month, and boy is it hard to get your brain to think the way it used to after four months of doing nothing but caring for young children and maintaining a home. What little free time I had during my maternity leave is now practically extinct.

So I guess this isn't a great time for me to be thinking about rebranding and relaunching my Etsy shop as a way to earn extra money, but it is what it is. When I get an idea I have to go for it now, and I love striking while the iron's hot. Stay tuned for my "big" announcement -- air quotes on the big because it's not, really. A name change, a few new products... it doesn't take much to get me excited.

I'm so glad to be back in this space, friends!

Yarn Along -- New Socks?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 03:32:00 +0000

Even though I haven't been wearing my wool socks this winter -- I really doubt I'll be able to remember to not put them in the dryer -- I'm itching to knit a pair. Rather, when I think about knitting, I'm itching to knit a pair. Here's where I'm at now:

You can see I'm making awesome progress.

What are you knitting (or not knitting) these days?

Sewing Tutorial: Baby Sleep Mittens

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 05:43:00 +0000

No matter how much we turn up the heat in the house, our bedroom always feels much colder than the rest of the hosue. Lots of covers and warm jammies keep us warm, but we have a new roommate. And despite Tommy's layers and warm blanket sleeper, his poor little hands would become ice cubes by the time he woke up next to nurse.

So I made him a pair of baby mittens from an old felted sweater. Here's how I did it:

I folded my felted wool fabric in half lengthwise and drew a mitten shape with chalk, eyeballing the size. (If you're smart, you'll either generously trace your baby's hand, or measure the circumference of his wrist, or ideally both. Eyeballing it wasn't my most shining moment in the fit department, but I was short on time, the baby was asleep and he needed to wear the mittens the same evening. Sewing time is scant these days!) I then cut out two of the mitten shapes, keeping in mind the need for a 1/8- to 1/4-inch seam allowance.

I cut a piece of elastic about 3/4 the length of the wristband and sewed it to the wrong side of the wristband, stretching it as I sewed.

Next, I folded the mitten in half lengthwise, right sides together and stitched as close to the edge as possible. Be sure to stitch through the elastic when you get to the wristband, and not alongside it.

Turn mittens right side out and fit them onto your baby's chilly paws. Hopefully yours fit your baby better than mine do!

Check my night vision -- I love the arms-over-head look.

Along the same vein, I made a pair of slippers for Nathan using this tutorial from Collecting the Moments.

I used puffy paint to make the bottoms non-slip, or less slip, anyway. I couldn't get this kid to stand still if I paid him!

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For my babywearing friends: Paxbaby.com is hosting a giveaway to celebrate reaching 10,000 Facebook fans. Enter here for up to 20 chances to win 10 great prices. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: Decorating a Boy's Bedroom with Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:12:00 +0000

This guest post on decorating a boy's bedroom is by Stacy Watts. She loves using blue for boys' rooms, and why shouldn't she? Even though I went for more neutral yellows and greens for my own boys, it was hard to resist blue, one of my favorite colors. Take it away, Stacy!

There is no end to a child’s imagination. Why not decorate a child's room to reflect that? Children’s rooms are probably the best places to go the furthest in expressing their creativity. By borrowing ideas from favorite children’s books and movies, you can create an amazing setting for your child to grow up in. In order to do that, the basic elements you can use are:

vibrant colors
wall murals or decals
big plush toys
fun-shaped furniture
other cute objects that will set the right mood for a boy’s room.

Though some people are not fans of clichés like “pink is for girls, blue is for boys,” can you think of a better color for a boy’s room than blue? Neither can I. Blue is the color of two things covering the biggest areas on Earth - the sky and the sea. That’s where all the adventure happens!

Creative Ways to Decorate Your Boy’s Room:

The Sky

The first step to creating a cozy place for your little pilot is to paint his room light blue. Choose a color that will go well with the bed, closet and other pieces. You can paint some clouds and birds on the walls, too. If you’re feeling adventurous about the project, you can decorate your child’s room in the following manner:

Place your child’s cradle or bed next to the wall and paint a huge airship above it, as if your child’s bed is hanging from it.

Image by Decodice

Buy a rug that depicts a town, so that it looks like your child is flying and seeing the city from above.
Find a lamp in the shape of the sun, or paint the sun on one of the walls.
Place cute plush toys around the room.

The Sea

Creating a sea world in your boy’s room is similar to the “sky” idea. You’ll also paint the walls blue, but instead of birds you’ll have paintings or decals of sea animals on the walls. Clown fish, jellyfish, dolphins, crabs, coral reefs and other wonderful creatures can all dance on the sea-blue walls.

A boat-shaped bed, with mattress and soft blue bed covers from memoryfoamexpress.
A stroller with a blue float on its upper part.
Fish toys hanging from the ceiling.
If the boy is not too young, an Air Swimmer would be an excellent addition to the room’s collection of wonders.

(Source)

If these ideas seem too extreme, you can just go for a quieter option and use blue curtains, rug and bed sheets to make the room handsome, calming and sleep-friendly. You can cover the walls with murals of animals or popular cartoon characters while leaving enough space for your child to express himself through painting.

(Source)

Last But Not Least

If you can get a nice big fish tank for your child’s bedroom, it could probably be the most interesting blue element in there. If your boy is still a baby, he will enjoy watching the fish swim in circles, which might even be a way to calm him down before bed. If your child is a big boy, he can practice caring for others by feeding the fish and cleaning the fish tank.

No matter what option you go for, the color blue will make sure your child has the most wonderful dreams in his personalized space.

(Source)

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For my babywearing friends: Paxbaby.com is hosting a giveaway to celebrate reaching 10,000 Facebook fans. Enter here for up to 20 chances to win 10 great prices. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free Pattern: Thermal Textured Socks & Sock Knitting Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 03:21:00 +0000

I originally wrote this sock knitting tutorial and Thermal Textured Sock pattern for the Winter 2011 edition of Rhythm of the Home. I'm glad I can now offer it to my readers here. Enjoy!

It is a simple joy to knit wool socks. What better way to provide warm clothing for your family to wear in winter? It seems that everyone can appreciate a pair of wool socks—they’re warm, they stay warm when they get wet, and they’re oh-so-comfortable to wear. And, lucky for me, they’re my favorite things to knit. Socks can be simple or intricate, knitted from the toe-up or the cuff down and at just about any gauge you can imagine. They’re a small, portable project and always an interesting knit.

But I’m finding that, for some people, the idea of knitting socks can be intimidating. Many of my blog readers comment that they’d love to knit socks but are just too intimidated to try—and that got me thinking. I find sock knitting to be relatively easy, as long as you know the knitting basics and have mastered a few key skills. I’ve since made it my personal mission to help people understand that socks aren’t hard to knit—really! So I wrote this tutorial to demystify sock knitting and explain basic sock construction for those who want to try knitting socks for the first time or get reacquainted with this great skill.

I start with a basic introduction to sock knitting, the anatomy of a sock and a list of skills and their abbreviations that you’ll need to know, in hopes of bolstering your confidence on your sock-knitting journey. Then I follow up with a simple sock pattern with an optional textured stitch pattern. Beginning sock knitters may want to knit the sock plain, whereas intermediate knitters may want to add the textured stitch pattern to keep things interesting. The gender-neutral pattern comes in two sizes, Women’s (8” foot circumference) and Men’s (9 1/2″ foot circumference).

Let’s get started!

Introduction to Sock Knitting

Socks have five basic parts: the leg, the heel, the gusset, the foot, and the toe. At first glance, knitting socks is like knitting a tube with a bend in it. Socks can be knit from the cuff-down or from the toe-up, with several different options for heel types. If you’ve already mastered the skills needed for sock knitting (listed in the following section), I suggest selecting a simple cuff-down sock pattern, like the Thermal Textured Socks below, for your first pair. Cuff-down and toe-up socks are about the same when it comes to level of difficulty, however cuff-down socks require a few less technical skills and a simpler, less fiddly cast-on method; plus, I find them to be more intuitive to knit and physically easier to execute.

Anatomy of a Sock

Anatomy of a Sock: Cuff, Leg, Heel, Gusset, Foot, and Toe

Specific instructions are provided in the pattern at the end of this article, but here’s a quick explanation of how socks are knitted:

To begin knitting a pair of socks from the cuff down, you will loosely cast on a certain number of stitches and join to knit them in the round—this is the cuff. You will knit down the leg of the sock and then prepare to knit the heel. The instep stitches are held on one or two double-pointed needles (DPNs) and the heel flap is knitted back and forth on the sole stitches only. A heel flap-type heel is the most common, traditional heel for hand-knitted socks. The heel flap is knitted to a certain length and then the heel is “turned” with a series of short rows. The knitter then picks up stitches from the sides of the heel flap and returns to knitting in the round, decreasing every other row for the gusset.

Then the foot is knitted to the desired length. The pattern will tell the knitter when to begin knitting the toe; typically, when the foot measures 2 1/2″ less than the wearer’s foot. (You’ll have to measure the intended wearer’s foot or, if you want to be sneaky, measure his or her shoe insole or look up the measurements online based on the wearer’s shoe size.)

To create the toe, the knitter will decrease four times on every other row; the pattern will explain where and how. Then the decrease row will be knitted every row until a certain number of stitches remain—this tapers the toe to a perfect shape. (It will look a little pointy compared to commercially made socks, but you’ll see how a foot fills it out nicely when the wearer tries it on.)

The knitter will then graft the remaining stitches closed—this is probably the most technically difficult sock-knitting skill to master, but it’s useful to know for other knitted projects, such as joining the shoulders of a sweater, so it’s worth learning and won’t take long to master with practice.

Even though I provide additional details and instructions in the pattern below that you won’t typically find in most patterns, you will still need to know how to read a knitting pattern, and for the optional texture pattern, how to read charts. (It’s easy.)

Now on to the technical skills.

Sock-knitting Skills and Abbreviations

In order to knit socks, you will need to know how to:

- Cast on

- Knit (k)

- Purl (p)

- Decrease: Knit two together (k2tog)

- Decrease: Purl two together (p2tog)

- Decrease: slip, slip knit (ssk)

- Knit in the round on double pointed needles (DPNs) (as opposed to knitting flat on two straight needles)

- Pick up stitches (PU)

- Slip stitches (sl)

- Graft (kitchener stitch)

Other abbreviations

sts = stitches

rep = repeat

WS = wrong side

RS = right side

If you don’t yet own all of these skills, don’t despair—you can learn and practice the skills individually and put them all together on the sock. Knitting is a skill, like many others, that gets better with practice. Even if you’re short a skill or two, you can teach yourself while you work the socks—you’ll have to learn them sometime, and there’s no time like the present!

The Pattern: Thermal Textured Socks for Men and Women

Materials

- Two 50-gram balls of fingering weight sock yarn

- Set of 5 U.S. Size 2 DPNs or size to get gauge

Size: Women’s(Men’s) Instructions for the larger size are in parentheses.

Gauge: 8 sts/inch

Notes: Work optional chart across instep sts (sts on needles 1 & 2). Charts are located at the end of the pattern. Be sure to work the correct chart for the size sock you are knitting.

Instructions

Make two

Leg

Cuff

Loosely cast on 64(76) sts and join without twisting to knit in the round. Arrange sts evenly across four DPNs so there are 16(19) sts on each needle. Needles 1 & 2 hold your instep sts; needles 3 & 4 hold your sole sts.

Knit one(one) inch of k2p2 ribbing: * k2, p2 rep from * to end of round.

For textured stitch pattern, begin knitting Women’s(Men’s) chart on needles 1 & 2; k sts on needles 3 & 4.

For plain socks, k all sts.

Continue working leg until it reaches 6(7) inches long. Set aside instep sts and prepare to work back and forth on sole sts only (needles 3 & 4).

Heel

Heel Flap

Working back and forth on sole sts only (needles 3 & 4), you will slip the first stitch of each row purl-wise. Slipping the first stitch of each row helps us pick up the correct number of stitches from the edges of the heel flap to form the gusset. Slipping every other stitch purl-wise on right side rows creates an elastic, form-fitting heel flap. Work the heel flap as follows:

Row 1 (WS): sl 1, p to end of row

Row 2 (RS): * sl 1, k1, rep from * to end of row

Repeat rows 1 and 2 12(14) times more—32(38) sts

This is what the heel looks like after the heel flap is knitted and the heel has been turned. The instep stitches and sole stitches are labeled.

Turn the Heel

Short rows form the ‘L’ in your tube. Turn the heel as follows:

Row 1: sl 1, p(17)22, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 2: sl 1, k(5)9, ssk, k1, turn

Row 3: sl 1, p(6)10, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 4: sl 1, k(7)11, ssk, k1, turn

Row 5: sl 1, p(8)12, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 6: sl 1, k(9)13, ssk, k1, turn

Row 7: sl 1, p(10)14, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 8: sl 1, k(11)15, ssk, k1, turn

Row 9: sl 1, p(12)16, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 10: sl 1, k(13)17, ssk, k1, turn

Row 11: sl 1, p(14)18, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 12: sl 1, k(15)19, ssk, k1, turn

Row 11: sl 1, p(16)20, p2tog, p(0)1, turn

Row 12: sl 1, k(16)21, ssk, k(0)1—18(24) sts

Here is the heel after it’s been turned, as viewed from the bottom.

Gusset

Now you’ll pick up stitches along both sides of the heel flap and start knitting the gusset. You’ll pick up one extra stitch on each side between the sole stitches and the instep stitches to close up a gap that often forms there. You will then decrease two stitches on every other round to shape the gusset, decreasing four times on the first decrease round because of the extra two stitches we picked up in the gaps.

This is what the sock will look like after you pick up stitches along both sides of the heel flap.

Pick up stitches as follows:

With RS facing, PU 14(16) sts up the right side of heel, PU 1 st between sole and instep sts, work in pattern (or plain stockinette) across instep sts (needles 1 & 2), PU 1 st between sole and instep sts, then PU 14(16) sts down left side of heel.

Knit 9(12) sts to get to center of heel. The center of heel is now the beginning of your round—80(96) sts—and your needles are renumbered as follows:

You now have 24(29) sts on needle 1, (16)19 sts on needle 2, (16)19 sts on needle 3 and 24(29) sts on needle 4.

Gusset shaping

Initial decrease round:

Knit to the last 5 sts on needle 1, k2tog, k2tog, k1; knit in pattern (or plain stockinette) across needles 2 & 3, k1, ssk, ssk, knit to end of round on needle 4.

Next round: knit

Round 1: Knit to the last 3 sts on needle 1, k2tog, k1; knit in pattern (or plain stockinette) across needles 2 & 3, k1, ssk, knit to end of round on needle 4.

Round 2: Knit

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until 64(76) sts remain.

Foot

Work in pattern as set (or in plain stockinette) until the foot measures 2 1/2″(2 1/2″) shorter than intended wearer’s foot.

Toe

If knitting the charted pattern, stop pattern and continue in stockinette stitch. Decrease for toe as follows:

Round 1: Knit to the last last 3 sts on needle 1, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, k the rest of the sts on needle 2; k until the last three sts of needle 3, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, knit to end of round on needle 4.

Round 2: Knit

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 until 32(40) sts remain. Then repeat round 1 until 12(16) sts remain. Knit across the stitches on needle 1.

Graft rem 12(16) sts closed.

Finishing

Weave in ends.

Charts

Building a Fabric Stash

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 04:21:00 +0000

Wow, guys. I haven't written in a week and a half! There is so much I want to write about, but I have less free time than ever. Although Tommy is a good sleeper at night (he's been sleeping for 5-6 hours straight since he was 5 or 6 weeks old!) he doesn't sleep that well during the day. Getting one of his cat naps to line up with Nathan's afternoon nap has been quite the worthy challenge. And he doesn't start sleeping soundly at night until 10 p.m. And condsidering that he nurses every hour and a half on the dot (or less), it' s a wonder that I get anything done, let alone the fun stuff.

So without further ado, here's some fun stuff:

I've been buying fabric here and there for specific projects since purchasing my sewing machine back in March, but only with this last purchase did I realize that I'd been following a strategy for how I was building my fabric stash. Unconscious Fabric Stockpiling (UFS) -- is that a disorder? Like the people who sleepwalk to the refrigerator and stuff their faces in the middle of the night?

It's simple -- I've been buying more fabric than I actually need. Or, UFS. Buying a bit more fabric than I need for a project isn't just smart sewing, it's how I've been growing my useful and productive stash. Much of my leftover fabric already goes together, and if you're drawn to the same colors over and over again like I am, you'll have countless combinations to work with as your stash grows.

I've been sewing small Christmas presents during my scant free time, and I feel very pleased (and satisfied -- is that wierd?) that all of my projects are coming directly from my stash. Even the fusible fleece, thread and emboidery floss. (Yeah!!!) I also made the crayon roll I sewed for Nathan's birthday entirely from my stash. I love how easy it was to select coordinating colors -- a no-brainer because I already did all the sweating it out over what fabric to buy and how the colors work together when I bought the fabric for the original project. Opening the doors to my fabric stash is getting to be a little like going to a [very small] fabric store.

In the photo above, I bought the first three fabrics on the left for an apron for Nathan. (All four fabrics are from the Woodland Tails collection by Sherri Berry designs, blue pallet. I know, it's too nice for an apron, but I have nothing else lined up for it. Should I do a quilt instead?) I loved the collection so much that I bought the fabric on the right to make Thomas a pair of reversible shoes. (Baby deer, giraffes and toadstools all on the same fabric? Yes, please!) So of course I had to buy some extra blue dot fabric for the lining. While I was at it, I bought some extra deer/giratte/toadstool fabric -- and I already knew I'd end up with more stripe and animals fabric than I needed for the apron.

What else will I make with all the leftover fabric? Who knows? That's the fun of having a stash. Someday I'll have a project in mind and I'll know exactly what fabric I'll make it with. And I'll be able to start it right away. Or, as soon as I can squeak some free time outta these boys. I love being able to start on a project as soon as inspiration strikes!

In today's mail I received this laminated fabric to make a smock for Nathan. The fabric is Bermuda Owls from Robert Kaufmann's urban zoology line -- I received it already laminated from from the Laminates Etsy shop. I'm excited to get started on the smock for one of his Christmas presents, and I also see some nifty pencil cases in my near future.

My name is Kelly and I have UFS. I buy more fabric than I need. What is your your affliction? I mean, what are some of your stash-building tactics?

Our Best Thanksgiving Yet / A Boy Turns Three

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 02:56:00 +0000

This was the third Thanksgiving we've hosted, and I must say, it was our best Thanksgiving yet. Both of our families are getting to know each other better and things went more smoothly than ever. And, other than crazy amounts of cleaning beforehand, I didn't have to do much more than nurse the baby all day. I'm so grateful to have our families' help!

I'm also thankful for babywearing and my newfound wrapping skills, because we recently found out that Tommy doesn't want to be held by aaaaaanybody other than his mama. So. Babywearing helped me get things done before and during the holiday, and also helped me calm him down when others tried to hold him (yikes!). We'll have to figure this one out fast, because I'll be heading back to my freelancing gig in January and, well, his dad wants to hold him, too. So there's that.

We also celebrated Nathan's and T.J.'s birthdays with an ice cream cake and presents. I can't believe Nathan is about to turn three! I was amazed with his restraint when walking past the stack of presents and how he asked if he could open them (for each present!). He even asked if he was allowed to rip the wrapping paper! Too sweet. He's really growing up! *sniff sniff*

These incredible photos are by my talented brother:

I'm not setting foot in any kind of store this weekend, but happened upon some good deals online. You might want to check out the deals at Kiwi Crate -- yesterday I ordered a monthly subscription for Nathan at 60 percent off the first month's bill. What a great way to try it for the first time! If you use this link to order, you'll get $10 off your subscription! (And I'll get a $10 credit to apply to a future month's bill. Thanks!)

And if you're a fan of Stubby Pencil Studio on Facebook, you can grab their 20 percent off coupon that's good until Monday, I believe. (No kickbacks here, just a friendly FYI!) I grabbed some Christmas presents for Nathan and his friends at good prices.

Happy belated Thanksgiving! Until next time, my friends!

Thanksgiving Birthdays and Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Hi, all. I first wanted to say thanks to those of you who commented on my last post about your experiences with reflux-y babies. We're implementing your tips and suggestions and are seeing good results with the little guy. So thank you.

Of course there still isn't any crafting going on around here, between a reflux-y baby who isn't sleeping much during the day anymore (is this normal?) and an active almost-three-year old. But I did just sew the button onto the crayon roll I made as part of Nathan's birthday present. Finished!! I felt victorious in the half hour that both kids slept at the same time. I even made a few important phone calls.

Without further ado:

I used leftover fabric from the curtain I made for Tommy's room (which I still have yet to, um, show you) and Nathan's number game and this pattern from the Pleated Poppy. Instead of using a layer of flannel inside the crayon roll, I ironed a piece of fusible fleece to the back piece before sewing the whole thing closed for more heft. I love how it came out. This will be part of a huge box of art supplies I'm giving him for his birthday.

Thanksgiving is extra special around here because both of our families come together at our house and because we celebrate both T.J.'s and Nathan's birthdays after dinner. In addition to pumpkin, coconut custard and apple pies, we have an ice cream cake and Nathan gets to blow out candles and open gifts. Even though his actual birthday is still a few days away, he was born on Thanksgiving and I'll always, always associate the two. For him I am thankful.

P.S. Right now, both kids are still asleep and I brewed some coffee and actually started drinking it. Now that's what I call victory.

Living our Lives...Sort of

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 02:34:00 +0000

Hi Friends! It's been a while since I've posted -- thanks for hanging in there! We welcomed Baby Thomas in early October, and since then we've been living our lives, only differently than before. You know, with a newborn in our midst.

Tommy was my Easy Baby, making Nathan look rather demanding when he was a newborn. What a joy! After about two weeks he had his days and nights sorted out, nursed on his own regular schedule and wasn't very demanding at all. And once he could see a little further, he was happy to hang out awake, without being held. Who knew this was even possible?!

But then, about a week ago, Easy Baby turned into Reflux Baby. Don't get me wrong -- he's still an easy baby, at least from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. It's the nights that are intermittently difficult, and we're trying different things to help him to feel better and for us (well, me) to get more sleep. So I've been pretty busy.

But that doesn't mean that no crafting was happening (at least before the reflux). I sewed Nathan a pair of slippers from an [intentionally] felted wool sweater, made a crayon roll as part of his upcoming birthday present and started sewing Christmas presents for some friends. I'm also knitting for this fast-growing baby who's already outgrown his newborn hats. (He's about 12.5 pounds at 6 weeks! Hello, ninety-second percentile!)

By way of Instagrams (my username is kellypatla), here's what I've been up to since Thomas was born:

Nursing - 1 week old

Wearing handknits - 13 days old

Growing extra chins - 2.5 weeks

Sleeping and wearing handknits simultaneously - 4 weeks

Playing in the sandbox

Going for walks outside

Wearing sunglasses at night (like in the song)

Babywearing in the kitchen

Drawing with five markers at once. This boy needs a haircut.

Perfecting my favorite carry -- the front wrap cross carry -- while celebrating cute bear slippers and wearing my Favorite Sweatshirt of All Time.

Being handsome and sweet, respectively

Being so rediculously cute it almost hurts. While wearing handknits.

Finger painting like a champ. Wow, he really needs a haircut.

Wondering when the next meal will be. This is the look that asks, "You're going to feed me now, right?" Easy. God, I love him.

So, what have you been up to during the last six weeks?

P.S. If anyone has had success soothing a reflux-y baby, I'm all ears. Please share your tips!

P.P.S. Thanks for reading.

He's Here!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 21:41:00 +0000

Finally, eight days past his estimated due date, our new baby arrived a week ago!

Please help us welcome Thomas Anthony, 8 lbs 9 oz, 21" long, happy and healthy. We're thrilled he's finally here and very happy and satisfied with our birth experience.

He's fitting in here at the Patla household (the requirements are simple: eat, sleep and poop) and we're adjusting to being a family of four with help from my mom and my mother-in-law.

I'm quite aware that I owe you all the final reveal on Tommy's nursery, and hope to do it soon. Until then we'll be babymooning while we have help around the house and doing lots of snuggling with our sweet boys.

For a steady stream of new baby photos, find me on Instagram -- my username is kellypatla. If you don't have a smart phone, you can see many of the photos on my facebook page.

Thank you for all your well wishes!

Last Sewing Project (for a while, anyway) -- a Bed for Nathan's Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly @ Creating a Family Home) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 02:11:00 +0000

Hi there! We're still waiting for Baby #2 to make his appearance (he's five days late and counting!), so I gathered up all my spare energy and used today's naptime to start (and finish!) one more sewing project.

You might remember the doll I sewed for Nathan from the Winter 2011-2012 issue of Living Crafts magazine. I made it with the intention of Nathan having his own 'baby' to tend to while I tend to our Baby #2. But like most of the toys I lovingly make myself, this one didn't really grab his attention and got little use.

I can't blame him, really. He's a boy who loves trucks and cars and all things boyish, and he'll probably grow up to be a man's man, like his father. (Does that make him a boy's boy now?) Also, back then I don't think he grasped the "we're having a baby" concept. But now he does, and he started playing with the doll a litlte bit and added him to his core group of "guys" (stuffed animals) that make up his bedtime menagerie. He even said recently, "Soon I'm going to have two babies!" Almost made my heart melt.

So I thought I'd make the baby some accessories so Nathan can actually do something with his own baby while I tend to mine -- I made him a bed with a sheet and pillow. And he loved it!!

Naptime for baby!

Put him somewhere good for safe keeping.

Naptime's over!

Time to get grabbed in the face!

It's bedtime now!

Tucking him in.

Happy boy.

Good night kiss for baby.

He's actually reading him a bedtime story! I love how this sweet boy pretends. I love this sweet boy!

After a few minutes of putting the baby to bed and then "waking him up," Nathan asked for clothes for the baby to wear and for some diapers. So next I'll make some felt diapers with velcro closures and will try to figure out how to quickly make some clothing for Nathan to throw over the doll's perma-jammies. I don't think I have time to knit something, yet don't know when I'll have the energy to lug out my sewing machine again and wrap my brain around another custom-designed project.

I wish I'd taken better photos of the bed, sheet and pillow while we had daylight. I tried hard to make the sheet look like a real sheet, although I added some topstitching for extra detail. The striped fabric (from a hand-me-down crib sheet) made it easy to press hems without having to measure, and I eyeballed the size of the sheet and pillow. I even machine sewed the pillow shut after stuffing it, instead of dreaded hand-sewing. I love how it came out!

The bed itself is a cardboard crate from Cuties brand clementines. I wrapped a piece of sheet around it and neatly folded and hot glued the edges onto the bottom of the box. I wish now that I'd also secured the fabric inside the box, but I think the fact that I didn't makes it look more cosy and bed-like and less cardboard-box-like.

I love saving things to use later in crafts (like the clementine crate) and being resourceful with the materials I have on-hand (like the hand-me-down crib sheet I never used because the colors didn't match Nathan's room).

I'll try to feature the baby's diapers and clothing, if I ever get around to creating them before the real baby gets here.... and I haven't forgotten about my last installment of the baby's nursery before the big reveal. I'll try to do it very soon!